Completed Veteran at Victory Day

[Martin Antonenko]

38. Day, January, 23, 2021

The next "birdie" in the row - I couldn't manage more today - is the so-called "Zhukov medal"!



It is reminiscent of the decisive military head and fourfold hero of the Soviet Union, Marshal Georgij Konstantonowitsch Shukow ...:



The medal was awarded in 1994 by Ukas No. 930 donated by the Russian Federation on May 9, 1994 and two years later - in 1996 - awarded to all Red Army veterans on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of Shukov's birthday (November 19 / December 1, 1896).

It is undisputed that Zhukov made an outstanding contribution to the victory of the Soviet Union over Nazi Germany.

But it is also undisputed that he was wasteful with the lives of the soldiers under his command and paved the way of the Red Army to Berlin with corpses, according to the motto, unfortunately common with many generals of the Russian and Soviet armies: "What the heck? People we finally have enough ...! "



The average life expectancy of a Soviet "Frontowik" during the "Great Patriotic War" was only a little more than eight days!
(His German opponent had an average life expectancy of 21 days!)

In times of intense fighting - for example in Stalingrad - it was less than 24 hours for Red Army soldiers.



That shouldn't be forgotten ...








Cheers

 

[grasshopper]

Thankyou..the pretty ribbons should never take precedence over human cost

 

[Nap]

Thankyou..the pretty ribbons should never take precedence over human cost

Absolutely agree

Martin

The medal and ribbon looks good and with well chosen pictures as well showing the cost of war

Question .....is there a precedence for the wearing of medals ? .....or has our subject worn as he wishes to

Thanks for sharing

Happy benchtime

Nap,

PS nice new avatar as well !

 

[Martin Antonenko]

39. Day, January 25, 2021


With the next medal that I paint today, you can immediately see that it belongs to a different category!

The ribbon deviates from the inconography of war and anniversary awards (mostly red in combination with the "St. George's ribbon") - and the color of the medal itself is silver, not gold ...:



It is the "Labor Veteran" medal (Russian: Медаль «Ветеран труда»).

It was an award of the Soviet Union for civilian workers, introduced on January 18, 1974 by the decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR in honor of workers and awarded to outstanding working days of the national economy, science, culture, education, health care, authorities and public organizations has been.

With the fall of the Soviet Union in December 1991, this award also disappeared.

In the 18 years of its existence, the award has been given out at an inflationary rate - the number of its bearers is almost 40 million people - including our veteran!




Cheers

 

[Airkid]

Quality!

 

[Nap]

Quality!

Agree with that

Must admit looking at mine in trepidation!

Nice work Martin

Happy benchtime

Nap

 

[Martin Antonenko]

40. Day, January 27, 2021


Today I finish painting the middle row - two medals still have to be dipped in color ...!

The ninth and penultimate one hides really well - but it's there! She betrays her ribbon ...:



It is the medal awarded to veterans in 2020 on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the victory in the Great Patriotic War.

For the first time since the death of the "landlord" on March 5, 1953, it shows a portrait of Yossif Vissarionowitsch Dshugashvili, better known under his "Nom de Guerre" Stalin!

An unmistakable sign of the "Wind of Change" that has turned mightily in Russia ...:



The tenth and final medal, which will later be almost completely covered by the crook of our hero's arm, is the one that commemorates the return of the 30th anniversary of the victory over Hitler Germany and was awarded in 1975 ...:



Here we have an overview of all ten "birds" in the middle row of our veteran ...:



And this is how my bust looks like now ...:









Cheers

 

[Nap]

Hi Martin

Great stuff ...they might not show that much but you and us will know they are painted

Might be a bit tricky as Ibhave built the bust up on mine !

Thanks for sharing the line up of the medals

Pleasure to see this progress

Happy bench-time

Stay safe

Nap

 

[Martin Antonenko]

Hi Kev!

Thanks! I'm very curious to see your version...!

Cheers

 

[Airkid]

Excellent work Martin. I'm guessing this bust is OOP?

Phil

 

[Martin Antonenko]

OOP...? Don't understand...

 

[Airkid]

Out of production

 

[Martin Antonenko]

Try it here...:



Good luck!

Cheers

 

[Airkid]

Damn! I'm gonna have to buy one now

Phil

 

[Nap]

Hi Kev!

Thanks! I'm very curious to see your version...!

Cheers

Hopefully mine will be very soonish ! ...need to ready myself ! ...thinking about filling the face where strap fits and having it hanging down

Damn! I'm gonna have to buy one now

Phil

Go on you know you want to

Happy benchtime and happy buying

Nap

 

[Martin Antonenko]

Yeah - Paintbattle!!!

 

[Nap]

Yeah - Paintbattle!!!

Kolinski sable at 10 paces then Martin ......LOL

Happy benchtime

Nap

 

[Martin Antonenko]

Kolinski sable at 10 paces then Martin

Windsor&Newton Series 10!


Cheers

 

[Martin Antonenko]

-----------------------------------------------

41. Day, January 28, 2021


In the Russian order nomenclature, the most important awards are always worn at the top - over less important medals - and the most important ones are always closest to the button placket of the Gymnstiorka field blouse!

So it is with our hero ...:



What he is wearing is an award for participants in the Battle of Moscow in the winter of 1941!



This was the first such combat award that the Soviet state issued during the Great Patriotic War!

The next two were the medals "For the Defense of Leningrad" ...



... as well as "For the defense of Stalingrad" ...:



These first combat awards were much simpler than the ones that followed later, which accumulated when the Red Army went through a successful war.

From success to success, the ribbons became more colorful ...!

So our hero survived the battle for Moscow - and he was very lucky!

The Soviet leadership threw 1.26 million soldiers into battle to defend the capital against the approaching German invaders.









Among them were a number of Siberian elite regiments with winter experience, who had been ordered to the west after Stalin could be sure, through the information of the spy Richard Sorge, that the Japanese Empire would not attack the Soviet Union in Asia, but would turn against the USA ...:



The battle for Moscow ended with a victory of the Red Army over the Hitler armed forces, which could be pushed back 230 kilometers to the west (the first defeat of the Germans in this war!) ...:



But what kind of victory was that:

The Red Army lost 1.06 million of its deployed soldiers off Moscow through bloody losses!



In general, it can be said: in purely mathematical terms, the Soviet army was completely wiped out twice during the war! And repositioned twice - each time stronger than before!

So our hero survived the battle for Moscow - and then set out on the long journey west to defeat the Germans for good.

What he was up to there - we'll hear about it ...






Cheers

 

[Nap]

Hi Martin

Thanks for the update and the history lesson as well , incredible the losses incurred by Russian forces

Lookng at the pcture of him in the bottom row there are just ribbons without a actual medal ....intrigued ?

Needless to say the painting of the medal is really good and in my opinion now wexarexseeing the top row it seems to pull everything together more

Look forward to the next addition

Happy benchtime

Nap